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Reference has been made here to the company charging all the traffic 

 would bear. That is a saying that is unpopular and is referred to in 

 terms not favorable to us. The same idea might be expressed in an- 

 other way and in not nearly so objectionable a form, by saying that we 

 aim to make such rates as are necessary to develop the traffic. 



In regard to the refrigeration of fruits, we want a lighter car and you 

 want a cheaper car. We have made experiments to that end. 



Mr. Motheral: Did you succeed ? 



Mr. Smurr: We regard the two experiments as successful. The ex- 

 periment with carbonic acid gas was made late in the season, and the 

 experiment with compressed air was also made late in the season. 



A Member: Will this new process be in the possession of the South- 

 ern Pacific Railroad Company or in the hands of the patentees? 



Mr. Smurr: It is entirely too early for me to answer that question, 

 but perhaps I might venture the statement that the likelihood is that 

 the Southern Pacific, if they do not own the cars, will be in a position 

 to control them in the best interest of all concerned, as these improve- 

 ments promise to work great good to the fruit grower; but the company 

 wants to test it more fully in very hot weather, and will do so during 

 the coming summer. If successful I think I can guarantee that the 

 growers will receive the benefit of the large reduction in expense. It is 

 the policy of the company to own and control its own cars in that case, 

 but this will probably not be done during the coming summer. I would 

 suggest that the committee confer with the refrigerator car companies 

 in regard to lower rates. The Southern Pacific Company exercises no 

 control over the refrigerator car companies. 



Mr. Block: Is it not a fact that transportation companies have virt- 

 ually forced us, compelled us, to make use of the refrigerator car by 

 reason of the slow time they give ? If we could depend on our fruit 

 going through from Sacramento to Chicago within five days, we natur- 

 ally would use the other method, would we not ? 



Mr. Smurr: I think so. 



Mr. Block: And finding that nine days is about as quick time as we 

 can expect, we are compelled to take the refrigerator cars; so that the 

 railroad company must not put all the blame on us for the use of the 

 refrigerator car. Let the blame rest where it belongs. Let it rest on 

 the unreliability of the promise that you made to us. I do not desire 

 to be personal. 



Mr. Smurr: No, sir; I do not take it so. Last year your meeting 

 appointed a committee consisting of Mr. Buck, Mr. Anderson, and Mr. 

 Hatch to wait on the railroad company or companies in the matter of 

 time. Those gentlemen duly called to see me, and I think they inter- 

 viewed all the representatives on this coast of our immediate connections 

 at Ogden. I proceeded to talk the matter up with our immediate con- 

 nections at Ogden, who represent the roads which the Southern Pacific 

 have no control over. There is no line operated under its management 

 from Ogden to the Mississippi, the Missouri, or to the Atlantic States. 

 The only through line it operates is by way of New Orleans. We recog- 

 nized the importance of time. We deprecated the necessity of using 

 these heavy refrigerator cars. They are costly. We believed that we 

 could make a schedule that would enable you to use the lighter cars, 

 and we are now encouraged to believe that we can do so. Here is a copy 

 of a letter sent on April 7, 1894, to S. H. Babcock, the General Freight 



